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2018 Volkswagen Golf GTE review

Volkswagen's updated Golf GTE is the opposite, using a petrol-electric powertrain to be a fun car and an evolution of its iconic GTI hot hatch.

After years of dismissing hybrids, Volkswagen Australia is set to introduce the Golf GTE to local showrooms in 2018, partly to offset any repurcusions of its damning emmission-cheating scandal but also to plant the first stepping stone on a pathway to more plug-in hybrids and eventually a family of fully-electric cars.

To set the tone and find out what to expect when it does arrive, we took one on a 550km cross-country blast from Berlin to Frankfurt ahead of this year's motor show.

It's the kind of road trip that couldn't be completed in an electric car at a similar price point. A Nissan Leaf, either the just-unveiled new model or the previous generation car, would need multiple stops and lengthy charge times to get the job done, while a Tesla Model S could hypothetically do the trip without stopping but that would require a P100D model, with the top speed limited to 100 km/h and at a cool $232,402 plus on-road costs in Australia - that’s a long way off the price Volkswagen expects for the the Golf GTE, at around $53k.

2018 Volkswagen Golf GTE Photo: supplied

For that, you're likely to get a fully-decked out Golf with a full suite of active safety systems, Volkswagen's high-end connectivity and infotainment systems, adaptive suspension and a petrol-electric powertain that offers similar performance to a Golf GTI but the ability to travel short distances on battery power alone, resulting in a claimed average fuel consumption of 1.8L/100km.

From any angle, the Golf GTE looks fairly conventional with only its blue badges indicating it is any different from a GTI.

The same applies to the cabin, which is as plush and user-friendly as any other member of the Golf family.

Like the GTI from which the GTE takes its performance cues, there’s also a decent amount of sporting flavour thanks to sports seats, a sports steering wheel, and a slightly different take on the iconic tartan upholstery with blue accents instead of the GTI’s red details.

Not only that, but the GTE retains the practicality of a regular hatchback. For our quick sprint up the autobahn the Golf GTE was loaded up with three adults, each with a week or more’s worth of luggage in tow and it swallowed the lot without compromising anyone’s comfort in the process.

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Infotainment systems follow the lead set by the rest of the Golf Mark 7.5 range with a standard 8.0-inch screen size or an available 9.2-inch unit with gesture control. Not only that but the nav system is integrated with the vehicle as a whole, and uses a so-called advanced hybrid strategy to plot when and how to best utilise the capabilities of the drivetrain system to maximise efficiency.

Australian specifications are still under discussion, but Drive has been told to expect a level of equipment for the GTE that more closely aligns it with the plusher Golf R, to help offset its price premium when compared to the regular Golf GTI. That means features like a larger infotainment system, Active Info Display instrument cluster, or leather trim could potentially make it into the standard GTE package though nothing is confirmed just yet.

From its combined petrol and electric motors the Golf GTE is capable of producing 150kW of power and 350Nm of torque, meaning the performance plug in hybrid is just 19kW off a traditional Golf GTI, but matches it for torque output. Factor in the additional weight penalty of the extra hybrid hardware and the Golf GTE can complete the 0-100km/h sprint in 7.6 seconds, compared to 6.4 for the GTI.

While its standing performance may not be as radical, the GTE still turns on a decent amount of pace, and rolling acceleration is strong - particularly in ‘GTE mode’ which offers an extra kick of performance by maximising energy sent to the wheels from both power sources.

The petrol-powered part of the system utilises the same 110kW/250Nm 1.4-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder engine as the regular Golf line, with additional performance (or green e-mode running) contributed by a 75kW/100Nm electric motor. Drive is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed DSG (dual clutch) automatic.

To drive the Golf GTE, it is every bit as well mannered and comfortable as a regular Golf. During the urban trawl out of Berlin the GTE feels like any other Golf to drive, but without producing tailpipe emissions during the time it has battery charge available. Although the official EV range is a claimed 50 kilometres, real-world figures aren’t quite as generous.

Where the GTE starts to pull away from a regular electric vehicle is its cruising ability. Australian drivers simply wouldn’t have the chance to put that to the test safely and legally, but with the unlimited autobahn at our disposal the Golf GTE cruised happily for hours at speeds between 140km/h and 160km/h with no shortage of extra potential up its sleeve when required.

Thanks to the direct and lightning quick gearshifts from the DSG auto the Golf GTE doesn't have the kind of spongy acceleration feel of traditional CVT-equipped hybrids, and feels more involving than the single-speed direct drive of an EV.

Unfortunately the opportunity to throw the Golf GTE through anything other than a sweeping freeway bend didn’t arise, but with a handling package that takes its cues from the GTI the GTE is sure to feel as secure and sure footed through a set of fast paced corners - although the extra weight won’t be without some impact.

Owing to the somewhat conservatively-sized battery pack, recharge times are fairly brisk with a regular wall plug requiring three hours and 45 minutes to replenish the battery, or a quicker two hours and 15 minutes if you install a dedicated wallbox charger.

That means that a quick plug in at home, or at the office, is all it would take to replenish the battery, and should you have no charge at all then petrol power will still keep the Golf GTE mobile.

On our intro drive, the Golf GTE displayed an 8.1 l/100km fuel consumption figure and suggested that only around 17 per cent of the trip was done in zero emissions mode, due to the nature of the route - mostly autobahn with a small urban section at each end and the fact the car wasn’t fully charged when we set off.

There was no chance of reaching the claimed 1.6-1.8 l/100km fuel use figures, but keep in mind that cruising at high speeds uses more fuel than the 110 km/h maximum of most Aussie states, and that at no point was our ability to hit those speeds or cover that distance compromised by the GTE’s mechanical setup and this type of motoring becomes a clear step toward the future of emissions friendly mobility.

For many Aussie buyers, urban dwellers in particular, it means being able to get to or from work without touching a drop of juice, but also presents the opportunity to escape on a weekend drive to the country or week long rural getaway without suffering range anxiety or having to compromise on space, comfort, or driver enjoyment.

Ultimately, the Golf GTE won't appeal to enthusiasts in the same way a GTI does, but it does provide those looking for a modern, efficient, premium small car with an entertaining and engaging option.

More than that, it is a critical building block in Volkswagen's ambitious plan to become the global powerhouse of electric vehicles over the next decade. And it's a convincing way to kick it off.

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Drive Comments

The truth | 14 Sep 2017 01:31

So there you have it. A hybrid vehicle that is LESS fuel efficient than its petrol powered cousin.

Abruzzo | 14 Sep 2017 02:48

Contradiction in this article, is it a 6 or 7 speed DSG auto, the guts of the article says 6 speed but the specs at the end say 7 speed. Go figure!

Not_A_Normal_Man Abruzzo | 15 Sep 2017 14:13

the specifications at the end does not say 7.

Nathan | 15 Sep 2017 03:06

the truth, did you ignore the variable of the autobahn purely so you could gloat?

The truth Nathan | 16 Sep 2017 03:09

If you want a real idea of how this new VW went on its launch in Germany, see NewsLtd article by Joshua Dowling in this weekends local NewsLtd motoring section.

The truth Nathan | 16 Sep 2017 03:10

If you want a real idea of how this new VW went on its launch in Germany, see NewsLtd article by Joshua Dowling in this weekends local NewsLtd motoring section.

Peter Saunders{ | 15 Sep 2017 09:31

Truth: You are becoming a crass bore.

Peter Saunders{ | 15 Sep 2017 09:31

Truth: You are becoming a crass bore.

Bethel Thunderpatch | 15 Sep 2017 16:44

The GTE looks interesting. On face value it's heavier and packs less kick than the 2.0TSI engines but there is some potential there. Just looking at the stock package, with a software tune the GTE kicks up to 170kW and 408Nm and that only involves the petrol engine tune. It's more than likely the electric drivetrain is capable of more output at the cost of range just like the Tesla can in its various modes. I could definitely see a future Golf R or similar incorporating this sort of setup to bump the power of say a 2.0TSI up to around 250+kW.

Bethel Thunderpatch Bethel Thunderpatch | 15 Sep 2017 16:52

...and by bumping up I mean putting a much bigger blower on and using the electric motor to pick up the low end slack and flatten out the dyno curves. It'd also be nice to be able to slip around the neighbourhood on electric only if you just want to get some milk or sit in traffic without drinking 20 litres per 100km of 98 octane.

The truth Bethel Thunderpatch | 17 Sep 2017 13:35

The problem is you have the added mass of the electric drive and battery in addition to that of the standard ICE car. You need the extra power to overcome the mass to equal the acceleration of the ICE eqivalent. Having an undersized battery as this does, totally negates the electric assistance as a dead weight after the first few hundred metres. The News Ltd article stated that after 800km of autobahn driving, there was only 4 km of elecric only power - no recharge on the fly - which disappeared after the first traffic light acceleration. One thing against this as a sports oriented vehicle would be the extra inertia from the extra mass at speed - per high school physics - and the adverse effect on handling.